Resilience and Neuroplasticity In A Changing World
Feeling fear and uncertainty is normal at this time. There is so much going on that is out of our control. How do we work with our mind and body to reduce the negative effects of stress and call on our mental resources for well being?
I’m honored to have Rick Hanson, PhD, join us for a conversation about his work.
Listen now to the show on 6/1/20 at KPFA.org, 94.1FM
https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=334488
Rick Hanson, PhD is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His books have been published in 29 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Just One Thing, and Mother Nurture. His free weekly newsletter has 150,000 subscribers and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial need. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, he began meditating in 1974 and is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. He loves wilderness and taking a break from emails.
Elderhood In The Time Of Covid-19
Listen now to our show on 5/18/20 @KPFA.org—94.1FM for a conversation with Geriatrician Dr. Louise Aronson on elders during this deadly pandemic.
https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=333776
The CDC reports that 80% of coronavirus deaths are people 65 and older.
Research is showing that adults 60 and older, especially those with preexisting medical conditions, are more likely to have severe coronavirus infection than other age groups. One way to reduce the risk of older family members catching the virus is to limit in-person visits—but there are also consequences to this strategy. Social distancing doesn’t have to mean isolation or loneliness. We need a society that cares about elders!
Dr. Louise Aronson is a geriatrician, writer, educator, and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the author of the New York Times bestseller Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, and Reimagining Life. A graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Warren Wilson Program for Writers, Dr. Aronson has received the Gold Professorship in Humanism in Medicine, the California Homecare Physician of the Year award, and the American Geriatrics Society Clinician-Teacher of the Year award. Her writing appears in publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, Discover Magazine, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Her work has been featured on CBS This Morning, NPR’s Fresh Air, Politico, LitHub, Kaiser Health News, and Tech Nation. And recently we heard that Elderhood was one of 4 finalists for the General Nonfiction Pulitzer Prize! Find out more at https://louisearonson.com/
Dr. Louise Aronson is a geriatrician, writer,
Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Resilience
Listen now to 5/4/20 show on About Health (KPFA.org–94.1FM)
https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=333031
With the Covid-19 Pandemic, anxiety about our health, safety, and future is high! It’s hard to relax when there is so much uncertainty. For many people it’s particularly challenging. Under normal conditions anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the US age 18 and older, and is thought to be the most common mental health problem in the US.
Call us with your concerns and questions: 1-800-958-9008
Jennifer Shannon, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist and a Certified Diplomat in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy specializing in anxiety. She has over thirty years of experience treating children, teens and adults. She is the author of five books, including Don’t Feed The Monkey Mind, The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens, and Monkey Mind Workbook for Uncertainty to be published August of this year. She is coming out with a kindle book this month called The Anxiety Virus, Five Essential Practices to Build Immunity to Uncertainty. She speaks regularly at national conferences and has been featured on radio programs, in magazines and newspapers. She co-authors her books with her husband Doug, a gifted illustrator. Find out more about Jennifer Shannon at www.jennifershannon.com
Staying Healthy During Covid-19 Pandemic
Listen now to the show we did 4/20/20 on About Health KPFA.org—94.FM
We discussed things to do (and to avoid) to build a strong immune system and stay healthy.
https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=332221
We know that basic things like eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising are all key ingredients to good health, but during a pandemic things get more complicated.
Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you find yourself looking in your refrigerator for foods high in fats, carbs, and sugar too often? Is your anxiety about the future getting the best of you? And are you worried about an underlying medical issue, but not sure if you should call your doctor?
Harry McIlroy, MD, is an integrative physician certified with the Institute for Functional Medicine. Before medical school and completion of residency at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, he had a background in nutrition and obtained a Master’s degree in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Dr. Harry strives to provide patients with health tools that empower them to improve their well being. Some of his specialities include Medical Cannabis, Chronic Pain, Digestive Health, Regenerative Medicine, and Insomnia. He serves as a volunteer clinical faculty member for the UCSF Medical School, and mentors and teaches medical residents at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, which provides medical care to underserved populations.
Facing The Climate Emergency
Listen now to “About Health” on 94.1FM, @KPFA.org (4/6/20)
https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=331164
Can we face the truth about the Climate Emergency, during this time of the deadly unprecedented Covid-19 global health crisis?
For both of these emergencies we can face our fears and deep despair…and we can join together now to make significant changes to save lives and resources. My guest, Margaret Klein Salamon can guide us in doing this.
“Scientific consensus says a climate emergency and an ecological crisis threatens everyone on this planet. This clear, and yet rarely-spoken truth, has the power to motivate rapid and far reaching change, IF we can tap into it.” —The Climate Mobilization
Margaret Klein Salamon, PhD, is a clinical psychologist turned climate warrior whose work helps people to face the deeply frightening, painful truths of the climate emergency, and transform their despair into effective action. She is the founder and executive director of The Climate Mobilization, which advocates an all-hands-on-deck, whole society mobilization to protect humanity and the living world from climate catastrophe. She helped pioneer the Climate Emergency Declaration campaign, which has led more than 1400 global governments to declare a Climate Emergency. She is the author of the new book, Facing the Climate Emergency: How to Transform Yourself with Climate Truth a radical new self-help guide for the climate emergency.
Shaken Brain
Listen now to my interview on KPFA 94.1FM, on 3/9/20, to an interview with Dr. Elizabeth Sandel, author of the new book, Shaken Brain, The Science, Care, and Treatment of Concussion.
https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=329548
There is much misinformation about how concussions occur, symptoms, the best treatments, and what some long term consequences may be. Athletes are often associated with traumatic brain injuries, but all people are at risk of concussions from falls, car and bike accidents, intimate partner violence, and military service. It’s difficult to predict how long recovery will take, and more education is needed so people get the treatments they need.
Guest:
Dr. Elizabeth Sandel is a physician with decades of experience caring for people with brain injuries and other neurological disorders in health systems in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and California, including as Medical Director of the Kaiser Foundation Rehabilitation Center in Vallejo, California. Dr. Sandel is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) and brain injury medicine. She is a medical director for Paradigm, a care and case management company for injured workers based in Walnut Creek. She has served on the faculty of the University of California/Davis School of Medicine for more than twenty years. Her late-career mission is to educate the public about science and medicine, using clear explanations and storytelling. Her website supplements her book, Shaken Brain: The Science, Care, and Treatment of Concussion (Harvard University Press, 2020): www.elizabethsandelmd.com
Dr. Elizabeth Sandel is a physician with decades of experience caring for people with brain injuries and other neurological disorders in health systems in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and California, including as Medical Director of the Kaiser Foundation Rehabilitation Center in Vallejo, California. Dr. Sandel is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) and brain injury medicine. She is a medical director for Paradigm, a care and case management company for injured workers based in Walnut Creek. She has served on the faculty of the University of California/Davis School of Medicine for more than twenty years. Her late-career mission is to educate the public about science and medicine, using clear explanations and storytelling. Her website supplements her book, Shaken Brain: The Science, Care, and Treatment of Concussion (Harvard University Press, 2020):
Boys and Sex
Did you know that one in six boys age 15-19 say they have never had a single conversation with a parent or teacher about contraception or sexual disease protection? And over half of teen boys say they seek out porn in part as their sex education.
Tune in on 2/10/20 to About Health on KPFA.org, 94.1FM, to discuss Boys & Sex. We’ll talk about sex, but not about explicit sex acts. But keep in mind some of the conversation may not be appropriate for young children.
Guest: Peggy Orenstein is the New York Times bestselling author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter, Waiting for Daisy, Flux, Schoolgirls, Girls and Sex, and now Boys and Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity. Peggy is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, she has been published in The Washington Post, Parenting, Slate, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, among other publications. She lives in Northern California with her husband and daughter.
The NEW Adolescence
Teens are growing up in a new world…and parents are worried about the increase of depression, anxiety, and anguish. Dr. Christine Carter has written a handbook for helping kids thrive in an age of accelerated change. She says, “You’ll learn how and why new technologies like smartphones and social media are contributing to the largest mental health crisis we’ve ever seen.” We’ll also discuss ways to help teens find joy, focus, motivation, and engagement.
Listen now to About Health on 2/3/20—https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=327000
Guest: A sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, Christine Carter, Ph.D., is the author of The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Work and Home and Raising Happiness. A sought-after keynote speaker, Dr. Carter also writes an award-winning blog, which is frequently syndicated on the Huffington Post, PsychologyToday.com, PositivelyPositive.com, Medium.com, and several other websites. She has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Dr. Oz Show, the TODAY show, the Rachael Ray Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CBS Sunday Morning, and ABC World News with Diane Sawyer. And she is the parent of 4 teenagers.
1/6/20 Exercise Is Medicine
If you need some motivation to get up from your chair, couch, or bed, and keep moving, the book Exercise Is Medicine will do that. Author Judy Foreman explores the science of how physical activity can counter the effects of aging, and has a significant effect on our health and well being. Listen now to the show that was aired on KPFA 94.1FM 1/6/20.
https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=325256
Judy Foreman, is the author of “A Nation in Pain”, and “The Global Pain Crisis,” Her newest book “Exercise is Medicine: How Physical Activity Boosts Health and Slows Aging, is just out. Judy was the health columnist for The Boston Globe for many years and her column was syndicated in outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, and Baltimore Sun. She served in the Peace Corps in Brazil for three years, has a Master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, was a Lecturer on Medicine and a Fellow in Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School, and a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Judy has won more than 50 journalism awards, including a George Foster Peabody award for co-writing a video documentary about a young woman dying of breast cancer.
A Second Opinion When You’ve Been Diagnosed With Cancer
LISTEN NOW to a discussion about the diagnosis of cancer and why it’s so important to advocate for what you need, and when necessary, get a second opinion for the best course of treatment.
https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=323032
12/2/19—94.1 FM and online at KPFA.org
For 50 years the second opinion has been providing free multidisciplinary, second opinions to adults in California diagnosed with new or recurrent cancers. One of their goals is to ensure that every cancer patient is empowered to make informed medical decisions.
For 50 years Guests
Dr. Howard Kleckner is a hematologist-oncologist and is the current Medical Director of thesecondopinion with offices in San Francisco and now Oakland-Berkeley. He was Chief of Hematology-Oncology at the Kaiser Permanente Hayward/Fremont centers for over 30years where he also served as the Hospice Medical Director. Dr. Kleckner served for many years on the California Board of the American Cancer Society and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the California Medical Society.
As a two-time breast cancer survivor, Joan Venticinque, has over 12 years of experience as a patient and research advocate. She is a member of numerous advocacy organizations and has been an advocate reviewer and member of the research team on grants for California Breast Cancer Research Program, Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, National Cancer Institute, LIVESTRONG and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. She currently sits as a community member on the Stanford Scientific Review Committee, reviewing clinical trials. Her past work experience with Bay Area Cancer Connections, and the Cancer Supportive Care Program at the Stanford Cancer Center, along with her current work at The Second Opinion, keeps her connected with the current issues cancer patients face.
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I'm thrilled to offer my book to parents, teachers, therapists, and anyone who cares for and about children. If you would like to set up a presentation or training for your child's school, or your work place, contact me at rona@nurserona.com.
Is That Me Yelling? is available in most bookstores and at Amazon
"Engaging and practical, humorous and evidence-based, prescriptive but not preachy, authoritative yet never stuffy, Is That Me Yelling? quickly rises to the top of the many parenting books I've ever read. Rona Renner provides thoughtful and achievable solutions. If you're a parent who has ever yelled at your kid and wished you hadn't, this book is for you."
—Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD, professor in the department of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley; and vice-chair of psychology at the University of California, S.F.
"Is That Me Yelling? is a complete and compassionate companion for every parent and educator. With excellent examples from her extensive professional and personal experience, nurse Rona illustrates fundamental psychological principles and functional parenting practices with empathy and enthusiasm."
—Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne, PhD, clinical psychologist, parent educator, radio host, and author.
